Official JEIFA Award Categories

Best Actor in a Leading role

The JEIFA for acting in a leading or supporting role is presented to the performer whose acting ability transcends all others in the process of breathing life into a character depicted on screen in a film eligible for a JEIFA that year. For a role to qualify as a leading role, the character portrayed must be a significant element in the plot and drive the film. While this is commonly the protagonist of a film, it does not have to be. There is also no threshold of time on screen to be eligible for nomination in a leading role. Due to the nature of some plots, particularly in those movies with an ensemble of “leading” characters, it is feasible that a performance may be eligible for nomination in a leading roleor a nomination in a supporting role. In the event there is a lack of clarity on the leading or supporting status of a performance, the decision will primarily fall to the status chosen by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), if available, unless there is overwhelming consensus outside SAG-AFTRA as to the status of the role. Regardless of outcome, it is not possible for an Actor to be nominated in both the Leading and Supporting categories for the same role. There is no limit to the number of nominations an actor can have in all eligible acting categories in one year. There is no limit to the number of nominations a film can have in any or all acting categories.

For the purpose of award nomination, a performance/role’s gender is based on the gender of the actor and not that of the role they play. If there is question in regards to the gender or gender-identity of an actor, the matter is settled by the determination of SAG-AFTRA. There are no restrictions for nomination on the basis of the age of an actor.

Digitized, Animated, and motion-capture acting performance are eligible for nomination for an acting JEIFA if and only if the “acting” (in this case, the expressions, body movement, and speaking) of a character created through animation or other visual effects are based directly off the performance of an actor captured through some form of technology. Voice acting of animated characters is not currently eligible for nomination in acting categories.

This category is classified as an Acting Award.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role

The JEIFA for acting in a leading or supporting role is presented to the performer whose acting ability transcends all others in the process of breathing life into a character depicted on screen in a film eligible for a JEIFA that year. For the purposes of nomination in a supporting role category, all roles in a film that are not eligible for Actor in a Leading Role, are automatically eligible in the supporting category provided they meet all other eligibility requirements for eligibility in any acting role. In the event there is a lack of clarity on the leading or supporting status of a performance, the decision will primarily fall to the status chosen by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), if available, unless there is overwhelming consensus outside SAG-AFTRA as to the status of the role. Regardless of outcome, it is not possible for an Actor to be nominated in both the Leading and Supporting categories for the same role. There is no limit to the number of nominations an actor can have in all eligible acting categories in one year. There is no limit to the number of nominations a film can have in any or all acting categories.

This category is classified as an Acting Award.

Best Ensemble/Cast

The JEIFA for Best Performance by an Ensemble/Cast is presented to the film whose overall acting performances transcends all others in the process of breathing life into the leading and supporting characters depicted on screen in a film eligible for a JEIFA that year. While films with nominations in leading and supporting roles have a distinct advantage over films with no other acting nominations, being nominated in any other acting category is not a prerequisite for nomination in the Best Ensemble/Cast category.

Animated films are not eligible for nomination in this category, but a film is not disqualified if it is a live-action film that includes one or more animated characters. Digitized, Animated, and motion-capture performances that are eligible in other acting categories may be contributing factors to nomination for best ensemble/cast.

Receiving a nomination for a JEIFA in any other acting category is a contributing factor for nomination in this category. Receiving a nomination and winning a JEIFA are both contributing factors for winning the JEIFA in this category.

This category is classified as a Contribution/Breadth Award.

Best Casting

The JEIFA for Best Casting is presented to the Casting Director whose contribution to the nominated film demonstrates excellence in matching the script requirements with the ideal actor for each role. The award further recognizes the joint effort of the Casting Director, Location Casting Director/Staff, and other members of the Casting team as the create an ideal cast for the project. Animated films are eligible for this award, but Documentaries currently are not.

This category is classified as a Contribution Award.

Best Director

The JEIFA for Best Director is presented to the Director whose direction, application of film technique and vision for the film’s story demonstrates excellence in interpretation and visualization of the script he or she is filming into a fully formed film. Their work must contribute to the film by effectively weaving together the acting, artistic, technical and other contributions to the film into a successful and coherent translation of the story or script into the film.

The Director or, if a producing studio reports a team of two directors, receives the nomination. All feature length films, including foreign language, animated, and documentaries are eligible for this category.

This category is classified as a Contribution/Breadth Award.

Best Film Editing

The JEIFA for Film Editing is presented to the film editor whose contribution to the nominated film demonstrates excellence in forming a cohesive film during post-production by assembling raw footage and shots into a continuous sequence of scenes creating a finished motion picture. Their work exemplifies artistic and technical expertise weaving together the story as envisioned by the film’s director(s) and writer(s). The lead editor or, if a producing studio reports a team of two or three lead editors, receives the nomination on behalf of the entire post-production editing team. All feature length films, including foreign language, animated, and documentaries are eligible for this category.

This category is classified as a Contribution/Breadth Award.

Best Screenplay: Original and Adapted

The JEIFA for Best Original Screenplay and for Best Adapted Screenplay are presented to screenwriters for recognition of achievement in writing and story development in a film eligible for a JEIFA that year. Best Original Screenplay is presented to a screenwriter for their work on a project that was not based on material previously published in any format. Best Adapted Screenplay is presented to a screenwriter for their work on a project that is based off of previously released material. Remakes and sequels of a prior film are automatically classified as Adaptations regardless of the status of the original film’s script. On occasion, a script is developed off of or inspired by a story idea, story fragment, or similar material that invites disagreement on whether the screenwriter’s work is definitively original or instead qualifies as an adaptation. Under these rare circumstances, the matter is settled by the decision of the Writers Guild of America.

As all scripts are classified as either Original or an Adaptation, it is impossible for the same film to be nominated in both categories. The type or format of a film is of no relevance to this category and therefore animated films, foreign language films, and documentaries are all eligible for nomination.

This category is classified as a Contribution/Breadth Award.

Best Original Score

The JEIFA for Best Original Score is presented to the composer of original music written specifically to accompany the film it appears in by enhancing the narrative and emotional impact of scenes in the film. The JEIFA for Best Original Score is awarded for an original score accompanying any film eligible for a JEIFA in that year.

While Original Songs are part of the soundtrack of a film, they have no impact on a film’s eligibility for or potentiality of nomination in this Category. Films that have song score are eligible for the JEIFA for Original Score provided the song score is original and not an adaptation or re-scoring of previously released music. Films, typically a sequel, that have a song, instrumental or orchestral theme based off of an original film are eligible in this category provided significant portions of the score is Original Music. A variation on a pre-existing theme does not disqualify a score for this category. Nor does the use of pre-existing music for an artistic or story effect.